Organisation profile

Sustainability has many facets. Inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching characterize the School of Sustainability. Scientists in our research projects work together in the laboratory, on the heath, in the grassland, in the classroom, with the city administration, with farmers, with non-governmental organizations, with companies, with students in the lecture hall and of course at their desks.

Furthermore, we work with regional and national political actors, e.g. ministries, as well as international organizations, e.g. UNEP, UNESCO, EU. We are part of national and international bodies, e.g. sustainability advisory boards of companies, member of the German Sustainability Award, World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), in order to contribute to social change with scientific findings.

Main research areas

Vision
Sustainability science investigates on a theoretical, conceptual and empirical level how to promote sustainable development and how to find and implement effective solutions for current social and ecological challenges. The aim is to create a more sustainable future.

Sustainability researchers are called upon to take responsibility for their research, which is anchored in existing scientific knowledge and methods and serves to make the world a better place for everyone.

Mission
We promote change towards a sustainable future by developing theories, concepts and practices of inclusive education for sustainability, research, governance and management.

We acknowledge the diversity and dynamics of values, norms and behaviour and contribute with transdisciplinary methods to ensuring that tensions and differences between different disciplines, methods, topics and standards are fruitfully taken up and used with productive compromises and further developments towards sustainable development.

Principles
The School of Sustainability is guided by the normative concepts of ecological system integrity and social and economic justice.

Ecological system integrity refers to the safeguarding of life-support systems, as well as the maintenance of the well-being of life on Earth.

With social and economic justice we strive for a world in which all people can fulfil their potential without endangering system integrity and the well-being of others.

Information about the School
The School of Sustainability includes...
... ca. 25 professors
... ca. 100 research assistants
... ca. 1000 students in Bachelor and Master courses

In various inter- and transdisciplinary projects we are constantly researching and working together on changes and solutions for current challenges.

  1. Published

    Towards sustainable land uses within the Elbe river biosphere reserve in Lower Saxony, Germany by means of TerraSAR-X images

    Farghaly, D., Elba, E. & Urban, B., 2016, In: Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection. 4, 3, p. 97-121 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Towards the design of active pharmaceutical ingredients mineralizing readily in the environment

    Puhlmann, N., Mols, R., Olsson, O., Slootweg, J. C. & Kümmerer, K., 21.07.2021, In: Green Chemistry . 23, 14, p. 5006-5023 18 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  3. Published

    Towards the design of organosilicon compounds for environmental degradation by using structure biodegradability relationships

    Grabitz, E., Olsson, O. & Kümmerer, K., 01.09.2021, In: Chemosphere. 279, 12 p., 130442.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Toward Sustainable Urban Metabolisms: From System Understanding to System Transformation

    John, B., Luederitz, C., Lang, D. J. & von Wehrden, H., 01.03.2019, In: Ecological Economics. 157, p. 402-414 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    Toward Sustainable Water Governance? Taking Stock of Paradigms, Practices, and Sustainability Outcomes

    Bilalova, S., Newig, J. & Villamayor-Tomas, S., 01.01.2025, In: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water. 12, 1, 12 p., e1762.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  6. Published

    Toward the sustainability state? Conceptualizing national sustainability institutions and their impact on policy-making

    Mathis, O. L., Rose, M., Newig, J. & Bauer, S., 06.2023, In: Environmental Policy and Governance. 33, 3, p. 313-324 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    To which gender's disadvantage are school grades biased - girls or boys?

    Schuster, C., 12.2019, In: The In-Mind. 42: Gender Special Issue

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesTransferpeer-review

  8. Published

    Toxicity testing with luminescent bacteria - Characterization of an automated method for the combined assessment of acute and chronic effects

    Menz, J., Schneider, M. & Kümmerer, K., 10.2013, In: Chemosphere. 93, 6, p. 990-996 7 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Trace metal dynamics in floodplain soils of the river Elbe: A review

    Schulz-Zunkel, C. & Krueger, F., 07.2009, In: Journal of Environmental Quality. 38, 4, p. 1349-1362 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Trace Metal Dynamics in Floodplain Soils of the River Elbe: A Review (vol 38, pg 1349): A review

    Schulz-Zunke, C. & Krueger, F., 03.2013, In: Journal of Environmental Quality. 42, 2, p. 622-622 1 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch